


One Small Step

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Fluff, Gen, History, Moon Landing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 20:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19837855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Jean-Luc is invited to speak at the 400th anniversary of the first man on the moon and Beverly goes with him.





	One Small Step

_Stardate 46858.77_

“Don’t worry, Sir. We’ll be fine.” Captain Jean-Luc Picard cast a dubious look at his second in command.

“I don’t doubt it, Number One, but I do hate for the Doctor and I to be leaving with Lieutenant Worf away as well.” Will Riker clapped his Captain on his shoulder. 

“Sir, I know how important this is to you. _Worf_ knows how important this is to you. Everything will be fine. Please, go and enjoy your trip with Doctor Crusher. Will you be seeing Wesley?” Jean-Luc nodded.

“We hope to. He doesn’t think he can join us for the ceremony, but he plans on joining us in La Barre for a few days after.” Will Riker grinned. Nothing like having your love interest’s son along to put a damper on things. He thought he might have to try and call Wesley and talk to him. It would be good for the Captain and Doctor to have some time away together. 

“I’ll get the yacht prepared for you. You should probably pack.” 

“You don’t think Beverly has already packed everything for me including that blasted dress uniform? But perhaps you’re right. Thank you, Number One. You are in charge until I return. Please do let me know if I’m needed to return to assist Mister Worf.”

“Will do, Captain. “

###

“Oh, Jean-Luc, I’m so excited. Thank you for asking me to come with you.” Beverly slid into the co-pilot’s seat next to Jean-Luc and reached over and gave his arm a squeeze. He smiled back as he readied the yacht to disengage from the _Enterprise._

“I’m glad you’re coming, too. And, you’ll get to visit with Wesley.”

“ _We_ , Jean-Luc, we will. Wesley is just as excited to see you as he is me.” Jean-Luc shook his head.

“I’m sure you’re wrong. What does he want to see a mouldy old Captain for?” Beverly rolled her eyes and pulled one of the pre-flight PADDs over towards her and began going through the checks.

“Perhaps he wants to see the man he has regarded as a father for the past nearly fifteen years.” Jean-Luc stared gob-smacked at his best friend.

“I...I never knew he did. I’ve always regarded him as a son, I hope he knows that.” Beverly nodded.

“Why do you think he always addresses his correspondence to _both_ of us?” 

“I don’t think I ever thought about it. I-“

 _“Bridge to C_ osteu _.”_

“ _Costeau_ here.”

“ _You’re cleared for disengagement.”_

“Thank you, Number One.”

 _“And Sir? Doctor?”_ Jean-Luc sighed.

“Yes, Number One?”

 _“Have fun!”_ Beverly concealed her laugh and passed her PADD back to Jean-Luc. “Ready to launch, Captain.”

“ _Costeau_ to Bridge. Disengaging now.”

_“Understood, Sir.”_

Jean-Luc and Beverly went through the process of disengaging the yacht from the ship seamlessly and once they were far enough out, Jean-Luc set the auto-nav and sat back in his chair. 

“I think I’ll have a cup of tea and relax. Beverly, would you like to join me?” Beverly nodded and rose to join him in the small lounge area in the back. The Costeau was a small ship, but it was much nicer than the other shuttles. Beverly settled back into the synthetic leather chair and accepted her cup. 

“Thanks. So, do you have your speech written?” She laughed when Jean-Luc rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well...not exactly.” She chortled.

“Maybe you ought to work on it?” 

“I suppose. Here, this is what I have so far.” Jean-Luc passed a PADD to Beverly and she became engrossed with reading, making an occasional tweak to the words. 

“It’s good so far. I tweaked a few things.” He grinned. Beverly had been helping him with his speeches for the past twenty years, and he always welcomed her input. He took the PADD back.

“Thanks. I just need to finish the ending. This is a huge honour being asked to speak.” 

“Will we get to see any of the original items?” Jean-Luc nodded.

“The museum dug a lot of things out of storage to put on display for the History of Space Flight display. We’ll see the space suit worn by Neil Armstrong and see the capsule and I think they even still have the quarantine ship as well as some more familiar things like parts from the _NX_. The plan is for the museum to tell a comprehensive history of human space flight.” 

“That’s incredible. I can’t believe we’ve only been space faring for four hundred years. Compared to the Vulcans, we’re positively still babies.”

“Indeed.” The two lapsed into silence while Jean-Luc tapped out a bit more on his PADD for his speech and Beverly pulled up a medical journal to read. He occasionally passed her his PADD for her to make suggestions for and soon Beverly was yawning. “Tired?”

“Sorry, Jean-Luc. I was up late last night with the Branston baby.”

“Go ahead and use the cabin to get some rest. I don’t mind.” Beverly rose and pressed her hand against his shoulder when she passed him. He grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss. She smiled.

“Thanks. Care to join me?”

###

Jean-Luc trailed behind Beverly in amusement as she took in the new museum at the Tranquillity Base. “This is _amazing!_ ”

“Beverly, you were born here and lived on two other planets. This can’t possibly be impressive.” Beverly’s eyes shined.

“But it is! I mean, look at this! Do you think Orville Wright had any idea what would happen when he came up with his idea for an airplane?” Jean-Luc shook his head. 

“Doubtful. I think even when the plan to land on the moon was first announced people probably had a hard time believing it. Remember, ‘ _We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy but because it is hard’_ ,” he said, quoting the over 400-year-old speech. Beverly nodded and continued to exclaim over the displays the Federation had moved up to the new museum. They had brought up many of the items that had previously graced the Smithsonian and other museum’s floors, including the first space Shuttle named _Enterprise_ and even Cochran’s _Phoenix_. In fact, there was even a display about the first contact between the Vulcans and the humans, with costumes lent to them from the Vulcan Museum of Science and Technology. The centrepiece of the whole museum was the lunar lander - it had been preserved on the spot about sixty years after the initial landing with a large tent and the museum was now built around it. Beverly rounded a corner and stopped with a gasp.

“Beverly?” Jean-Luc touched her arm and she turned towards him with tears in her eyes. 

“Sorry. I guess I never thought they would...”

“Would what?” Beverly pointed at a plaque that simply read. “Dedicated to the men and women of the Federation who lost their lives on Luna.” Underneath the writing was two columns of names, and the names Paul and Isabel Howard appeared partway down. Jean-Luc pulled her against his chest.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know...I didn’t _think_...if you want to go....” She shook her head. 

“I hadn’t thought about it, either. It just...took me by surprise. I guess it was,” Beverly paused to do the mental arithmetic. “Forty years ago. _Wow_. You know, it’s funny. I lost my parents when I was four, and Wes lost his father when he was five. Funny how things work. Nana would of course say it was fate working in mysterious ways.” She snorted. “Of course, I don’t believe in that.” Jean-Luc gently rubbed her back.

“You sure you’re alright?” 

“I’m fine,” she pulled away and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for being here for me. Come on, let’s keep looking. After all,” She said wrapping her arm in his, “It’s not _every day_ we get to privately tour a museum before it opens.” He chuckled and allowed Beverly to walk him around the rest of the exhibits. He had seen most of the items on display in various museums around Earth, but Beverly hadn’t. They finally entered the room with the lunar lander and gaped in awe.

“The Eagle,” Jean-Luc gasped out. The lander looked pristine. The Mylar was still shiny and reflective, the ladder was attached to the leg, and they could even see where the cameras had been mounted to film the first steps. The moon’s surface underneath and around was covered with clear tiles instead of the regular museum flooring...and preserved carefully under a tile was Neil Armstrong’s first footprint on the moon. 

**Author's Note:**

> I did entirely too much research on stardates to figure out when this would fit into the TNG timeline. It would slot between Rightful Heir and Second Chances.


End file.
